Ireland Women’s Team Unchanged For Wales Clash
The Ireland Women’s team to play Wales in the Women’s RBS 6 Nations Championship at Ashbourne RFC on Saturday (kick-off 2.30pm) has been named by head coach Philip Doyle.
Philip Doyle has again named an unchanged team for the rescheduled fixture against the Welsh on Saturday afternoon at the County Meath venue.
Ireland were due to play Wales in the first round of the Championship, but the match was called off at half-time due to a deterioration of weather conditions.
The girls in green defeated their Italian counterparts 40-10 in their last outing, with winger Niamh Kavanagh grabbing two of the side’s six tries.
Jennifer Murphy was sprung from the bench to score her first try at this level, while the rest of the replacements also got game-time in the second half.
Ireland are currently third in the Six Nations standings following this first win of the campaign. If they manage to beat the Welsh, they will close the gap on leaders England and France, who have both won their opening three games, to just two points.
IRELAND WOMEN’S Team & Replacements (v Wales Women, Women’s RBS 6 Nations, Ashbourne RFC, County Meath, Saturday, March 3, kick-off 2.30pm):
15. Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
14. Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians/Munster)
13. Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster)
12. Grace Davitt (Cooke/Ulster)
11. Alison Miller (Portlaoise/Highfield/Connacht)
10. Lynne Cantwell (Exile)
9. Amy Davis (Blackrock/Leinster)
1. Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster) (capt)
2. Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster)
3. Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
4. Sophie Spence (Exile)
5. Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
6. Laura Guest (Highfield/Munster)
7. Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht)
8. Joy Neville (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Replacements:
16. Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary’s/Leinster)
17. Ruth O’Reilly (Galwegians/Connacht)
18. Siobhan Fleming (Tralee/Munster)
19. Heather O’Brien (Highfield/Munster)
20. Larissa Muldoon (Exile/UWIC/Ulster)
21. Nikki Caughey (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
22. Jennifer Murphy (Exile)
Ireland Women’s 2012 Fixtures/Results:
Saturday, February 11 – France Women 8 Ireland Women 7, Stade du Hameau, Pau
Friday, February 24 – Ireland Women 40 Italy Women 10, Ashbourne RFC
Saturday, March 3 – Ireland Women v Wales Women, Ashbourne RFC, 2.30pm
Friday, March 9 – Ireland Women v Scotland Women, Ashbourne RFC, 7.30pm
Saturday, March 17 – England Women v Ireland Women, Esher RFC, 2pm